Underwater Drone Videography

For a few years now, mobile moviemakers have been able to shoot underwater. All it takes is possessing a waterproof smartphone or a waterproof case. We wrote about the possibilities here.

But because of depth limitation—plus dangers inherent in working underwater—mobile-shot underwater footage has been limited…until now. Writing in Wired, Paul Sarconi reports on soon-to-be-released drones designed for serious underwater cinematography. Sarconi’s “The Next Great Frontier for Drones Lies in the Ocean Depths,” suggest the possibility that underwater drone videography will make an impact on both scientific research, fishing, and narrative filmmaking.

Of course, underwater moviemaking is not new. In 1916, just a year after “Birth of a Nation,” Stuart Paton directed “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, a silent movie based on Jules Verne’s novel. There’s a four-minute history of the movie courtesy of 100 Years of Cinema: